Begin Again
by Roseyxoxo
Summary: The Golden Trio Starting afresh, their seventh year. But our dear Hermione is faced with a demon with its cold grey eyes. Will she let him consume her?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, I know it has been a long long while since I last wrote anything. After much thoughts and inspiration I decided to begin once again, from scratch that is. This is a new story that I just started writing. I hope you guys will enjoy! Read and lemme know what you think! xx**

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Failure is blindness to the strategic element in events; success is readiness for instant action when the opportune moment arrives. - **Newell D. Hillis**

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I shuffled through the huge crowd of first years making their way through towards the Great Hall. The air was full of excitement. Fresh plans, higher spirits and a positive vibe spread a cheerful and energetic aura around the whole castle.

_Things were finally getting back on track._

The war had been over for sometime now. _Almost five months to be exact._ Starting a school year in the middle of November seemed foolish to most. But none obviously knew the ulterior motive behind that decision. The war had brought with it heavy death causalities the whole Wizarding world was shaken down to the roots, chaos and bloodshed had marked every nook and cranny known.

Not only that, but the psychological effects it had on the citizens, Muggles-Magical alike still lingered. Five months had passed, the process of healing, forgetting, moving on had started. But it was a known fact, to most people at least that dealing with the aftermath wasn't going to be easy.

Thats how it was for the common people, and for those who had been in the very thick of it all, one can only imagine the horrors they'd faced. That being said, it was a surprise to everyone when along with me, Hermione Jean Granger, Harry and Ron had also decided to return. One last time, spend just one more year in the place we all grew up to consider our haven, our second home. Seventh year wasn't exactly a picnic. Finding horcruxes, meddling with dark magic, gruesome creatures cursed to kill us every which way we turned; we were all fatigued.

Everyone considered us to have retired, or so to speak. Yes, we all did need some time off to absorb everything in, and let it settle, but thats that. I'd gone to Australia first thing after all the mess had been cleared up and Shacklebolt had officially declared himself the Minister of Magic to find my parents and bring them back home. It had been difficult. Which was natural. I let them punish me with their harsh words, their hurt accusations because deep down I knew I deserved them. Then came the acceptance stage, and everything started to head back on the road to normalcy - albeit very slowly.

So, here I was, making my way towards the Great Hall for the first official day of my seventh, and last year of academic career at Hogwarts. It was still quite disconcerting to have people gawking at me every step of the way, but being the best friend of Harry James Potter did come in handy. I'd been the subject to these stares and gossip quite alot, even in the early years. I tried not to make a big deal out of it, unlike some people. Cough- Ronald- Cough.

Finally reaching the doors, I prepared myself mentally and stepped in. Instantly the chatter died, as everyone turned to look at me. For a moment, the memories came back. Harry and Voldemort dueling in the middle of the hall, Bellatrix cackling like a madwoman, House elves charging like a herd of bulls at the confused death eaters, Neville, Luna, George, Mrs. Weasley...

Sucking in a huge breathe to calm the oncoming wave of tears, I started forward.

_'I will not cry. Whats happened, is in the past. Harry won, We won. Time to move on.'_ I repeated this mantra in my head.

The Great Hall had been repaired to its original state, Endless heaven signalling an oncoming thunderstorm, floating candles and the Teacher's table were the same as before. The only difference was the arrangement of house tables. Instead of the usual four tables, there was one table. People sat huddled in groups or pairs, talking in quite tones. Some were sitting alone. I paused in my search to find Harry and Ron when I noticed that the alienated students were mainly from Slytherin.

With a sigh and a firm shake of my head, I continued towards the very end of the table, having located the infamous Redhead and Round glasses.

" Hey, you're finally here!" Ron said, by way of greeting, making space for me by scooting to the other side.

" Good Morning," I mumbled, taking my seat, eyes downcast.

" 'morning." Harry replied. I looked up and met with a thoughtful stare. Holding onto his gaze, I tried to convey the unspoken words of boost up which I knew he needed. Despite all his denial of stress, I'd known him for seven years of my life. It did account for something.

" Are you going to sit there like that? Hurry up! The teachers will be here any minute with the class schedules! Eat up!" Ron said, practically shoving a plate of eggs in my face.

" For Merlin's sake Ron, how many times do I have to tell you to _not_ speak while you're eating? " I chastised, scowling as I tried to take out bits of bacon which had flown out of his mouth and into my bushy mane. Seamus and Dean snickered as Harry gave a weak smile.

" Everything will be okay." I whispered, taking Harry's hand and giving it a light squeeze. He gave a slight nod, exhaling with determination.

We'd faced Voldemort, a school year couldn't be scarier than that. Or was it?

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**Yes, that was the first chapter. How'd you like it? Do let me know in a review! plus, if anyone's interested in beta-ing, do let me know! I could do with some help and grammar checking! I'll be back with a new chapter soon! Till then, Peace. xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here for you once again, with a new chapter. I know I took too bloody long to update but juggling school work, exams, writing and living my life is quite a hard feat to achieve all at once. But there you go, Hope you enjoy, and this one goes out to, '_watchfulreader_'. My first reviewer ever! You surely made my day pumpkin :) xx THIS ONE IS IN DRACO'S POV._  
_**

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Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than before. - **Polybius**

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They say light follows the dark. For there will always be a break to the dawn, the sun will rise again. Only, this is an act purely natural. Some depict it with evil and good, and say that Good will always win over evil. Others relate it with happiness and  
sadness. And they believe there's always a happy ending regardless of whether someone deserves it or not. But for one Draco Malfoy, this was a struggle. It was the fight against what he expected and what was expected of him. The internal war between what he thought was the right thing and what he was taught was the right thing.

They all thought him to be the epitome of all that was evil. The son of the right-hand man of the Dark Lord. A spiteful, cold and ruthless creature sent to inflict fear, reverence and despair among those he thought were inferior to him- which meant nearly everyone apart from his family tree, The Malfoys.

Five months had passed since the fall of the Dark Lord. Things had been on a whirlwind, for the most part. The Light side had won, not an easy victory, but a much anticipated and celebrated victory all the same. The Ministry had been working feverishly, cornering the remaining minions of Voldemort and filing charges against them. Sending them to prisons and carrying out search raids and ofcourse tending to the reparations and burial of those who had not survived the war.

Both sides had been dealt by the hands of death. Many families had been ruined. The Goyles, The Notts, The Carrows were all dead. Not even a single member alive to carry the name to the next generation. It wouldn't be wrong to suggest that, for the  
most part, it came as a relief to the wizarding world. The Malfoys on the other hand had survived, only barely escaping from the brutal clutches of doom which entailed the other death eaters. When Harry Potter appeared infront of the Wizengamot to  
provide testimony for the actions of Narcissa Malfoy, claiming her actions, despite being selfish changed the whole course of events at the last minute and helped Harry conquer the Dark Lord, gave way to a long period of wild rumors, gossips and  
whispering. It also became the cause of the first exclusively public argument between the Golden Boys. Ron had made a big fuss out of the whole scenario and refused to believe in the Good of Draco's mother's actions.

It had been then, confined in the shelter of his own Manor, under house arrest for 6 months, did Draco begin the process of healing, like everyone else, but not like everyone else at the same time. Sure, he had been through his fair share of rough  
moments, well scratch that, they had been the most nerve-wracking, heart-wrenching, fear-inducing and mind-numbing moments of his life. The kind of moments, when you suddenly become unsure of everything; your future, your beliefs, your concept of right and wrong, everything. And those moments had left a part of themselves, in the form of nightmares, insecurities, and depression. And boy was he depressed.

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I was standing there, just outside the Great Hall, the doors closed in front of me. But I could still hear the constant chatter patter of the students, the occasional shrill giggling definitely belonging to the annoying first year girls. Standing there, I weighed my options, _should I go inside? Should I just turn around and go back to my common room, in the dark recesses of the Hogwarts dungeons where no one will pay me any attention, negative or whatnot._

Taking in a huge breathe, I braced myself and opened the door. It felt like, a dementor had suddenly walked through the doors, as everyone turned to look at me. Even the air was chilling to the bones. For a moment, I did feel like a dementor, rotting and dying on the inside. But that was just for me to know. Ignoring the vile stares and rude comments, I slowly walked to the very end of the table, bypassing a frightened second year scurrying past me and sat down. The irony of the current situation couldn't have been ever so realistic or funny, if one ever looked at it that way.

These were the same halls, same students who used to be at the receiving end of my volatile temper, my scathing comments, my infuriating aura, and now.. it had all reversed. Now I was being subjected to those glares, contemptuous and judgmental snarks. But deep down, inside me I knew I deserved them.

Breakfast was good, in all my years at Hogwarts, I'd never admired the quality of the food. Always babbling about how good it was at the Manor, or how it was_ ' for the mudbloods and blood traitors who don't get enough at their homes'_. But really, while  
sipping my pumpkin juice, I realized how delicious it was. Talk had resumed, but I could still feel eyes on me. It was a moment when I was trying very hard not to relate my situation to Potter. But really, I had to give him some credit,_ How in the bloody hell_  
_did he survive all these years of attention, every step of the way?_ Maybe because it wasn't the kind he was being subjected to, but stares were stare nonetheless.

The class schedules arrived and I groaned quietly to myself, Double Advanced Potions with Gryffindors and Charms too. Great, Just great. I knew my life wasn't a big fan of my comfort, but I never knew it'd hate me so much to make me sit through three hours straight with the bloody banes of my existence. Way to start a new year! Sighing in resignation I got up as quietly as I could and walked out of the Great Hall, silence prevailing in my wake.

_Time to face the Griffies._

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**That was the second chapter. In Draco's POV. These two chapters so far were just the beginning, I wanted to fill in on my version of how I imagined it had been just mere 5 months after the war. I hope my version of Draco wasn't too OOC, Its the first time I'm writing Dramione so bare with me please. ConCrit is always welcome. And do review people! They make my day :) Until next time, Peace. xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Bonjour! Its been a long time I know. Things have been happening; Namely : Examz. Which leave me so drained that my poor muse feels neglected and locks itself up in the back recesses of my mind. It took alot of coaxing to get it out of hiding so I could bring you this chapter today. Hope you enjoy. And to all my reviewers so far, Thanks. And to all my silent readers, sweethearts, it doesn't take much time to review. Try it out sometimes, ;)**

**This one is in Hermione's POV**

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Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.****** - Bruce Barton**

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" Hurry up, both of you, we'll be late if you keep up at this pace." I called over my shoulder, hastily making my way through the corridor towards the dungeons. It still gave me chills, even after all these years. Nothing could beat them. Not even Voldemort at his worst. Well alright, that was a bit too much exaggeration.

" Trust Hermione to worry about Potions, of all subjects on the first day back." Ron said, rolling his eyes. Harry shook his head in amusement and started walking faster.

We arrived just in time as Professor Slugghorn opened the classroom door and ushered everyone inside, smiling pleasantly. I always respected him, despite his display of cowardice at some points in time. But he had been a great help during the Battle.

" Settle down, Settle down my dear students." He chimed, as everyone shuffled to get to their seats. As always, the Slytherins took the front. I sat down between the boys and took out my Textbook and a fresh piece of parchment. After unbottling my ink-pot, I dipped my phoenix feather quill ( A late birthday present from Harry) into it and turned my gaze towards the front, watching as Professor slowly made his way to the center and faced the students.

A fleeting gaze around was enough assurance to know that nearly everyone was going through the same mix of emotions as I was. All those years of sitting in this same classroom, brewing disasters at times, hating, loving, sneaking around and solving mysteries.. It all was a bitter reminder of the normal days, well nothing was normal in case of the Golden Trio, but nevertheless, everyone craved the simplicity of the younger years. Voldemort or Not.

Thinking about that suddenly reminded me of Harry. I turned my head slightly to find his head bent slightly, letting his fringe fall into his eyes to shield the pain, the strong emotions that were coursing through his very soul. I grabbed his shaking hands under the table, which made him jump slightly. He turned to look at me, and I knew at that moment what was bothering him so much. Snape.

No psychology book or studies could ever explain the complicated puzzle that Snape had been. On one hand, he'd constantly proved to be a thorn in Harry's side, always looking down on him and making his life miserable as much as he could. While he also went so far as to save Harry's life in the first year, and risked his life for Dumbledore and the Light side time and again. Although it all was kept from Harry until the very end. In the beginning, Harry had hated Dumbledore for keeping so many secrets from him, at one point, he even lost all hope. But then, I always knew that Old Man was a genius. It all worked out, but at a terrible price.

" Are you alright Harry?" I whispered through my teeth, while keeping a steady gaze on the Professor as he kept rambling about one thing or another.

" Would it make a difference if I say no?" he replied in a monotone. I didn't know what to say to him, so I just stayed quiet. I held his hand tightly, that being the only way to soothe him without attracting any kind of unwanted attention.

" We will start off with the simple potions, just to make sure everyone is on the same page. So for today, I want you all to make the Draught Of Peace. Easy I know. Make sure its done within time. Pour me dollop in a vial and bring the sample to my desk. I'll be around to guide you if you need any help. You may begin your work now." Professor Slugghorn ended his little speech, with a wave, which made him appear like he was flailing in air, if nothing else.

" Thats supposed to be easy? If thats easy, I can only imagine what the difficult would be like. We'll probably blow up the whole castle." Ron whisper yelled, horror struck.

" Get a grip Ron, its not really that difficult if you just follow the instructions properly." I replied, rolling my eyes.

" Of course its easier for you. Miss Know-it-all." he said, with a small smile.

" Shut up Ron," I snapped, ignoring his playful dialect on purpose.

" Will you both stop bickering and get started with the potion? You're starting to attract attention," Harry intervened, and sure enough I turned around to find some Slytherin girls looking at us, amused.

" Humph! Lets go get the ingredients," I muttered turning back around and getting up.

" You go and get them for us please? Its only moonstone, syrup of hellebore, powdered porcupine quills, Valerian root, and powdered unicorn horn. " Ron whined.

" You're such a baby sometimes. Ugh, fine! I'll go get them, you better get the cauldron ready when I'm back." I huffed, irritated but shocked at his memory. When in the world did he start giving two figs about Potions as to learn the ingredients for potions? Shaking my head at the rare displays of brilliance by Ron, I made my way towards the potions supply cabinet.

On my way back, was the first time I really noticed him. He was sitting at the very corner, next to what I knew was Blaise Zabini. His blonde head was bent, just like Harry's had been and he seemed to be in deep thoughts. All the other Slytherins were busy with trying to fumble through the task set before them but he was the only one sitting there, as if no one was around, as if no one was watching... as if no one would notice.

I was still staring at his head, when suddenly he sat up straight and his gaze met mine. I almost dropped everything that I had in my to keep everything in grip and averting my eyes from his, I slowly made my way back to the boys. Ron was still babbling about one thing or another. But I couldn't bring myself to pay him any mind.

It wasn't like I was really concerned or anything, but something was different about Draco Malfoy. Those few seconds that he'd looked straight into my eyes, they spoke volumes. His gaze, guarded- yet revealing at the same time, spoke it was just my over-active imagination, but I felt something shift; maybe it was the sudden change in his exterior. For in place of the haughty, spoiled bigot and extremely prejudiced elitist, was a quiet, detached and an almost invisible soul, shallow and bare from any emotions.

Shaking my head, I tuned into the chattering of the boys. Malfoy wasn't my concern after all.

" I hate doing this," Ron was whining. Typical, I thought rolling my eyes.

" What's up 'Mione?" Harry asked, stirring the potions clockwise while trying to keep the temperature of the cauldron in check.

" Nothing much, I'm not really in the mood for this.." I replied, waiting for the right time to put in the final ingredient, hellebore.

" Is the world ending?" Ron asked.

" What?" I asked startled,

" I mean- you just said you're not in the mood to study," he replied matter of factly, making quotations marks in the air.

" ha ha, very funny." I replied dryly. I wasn't paying attention and I accidently let slip the final ingredient out of my hand.

" Watch out " Ron yelled, waving his wand to vanish the herb before it fell into the cauldron and preventing a full out fire explosion. I stared at him in stunned silence.

" Its alright mate." Harry assured, still stirring. It took another 3 anti-clockwise stirs before he lowered down the flames and added the herb, this time making sure he got everything right. It slowly turned a nice pale white color and started emitting silvery  
vapors as instructed by the book.

" Whats got into you today?" Ron began,

" I'm sorry, I just- I've got alot on my mind today." I tried to explain.

" When don't you?" he replied, rolling his eyes.

" Forget about her, how come you know so much about this potion?" Harry suddenly pointed out, Ron froze for a moment and turned bright red.

" Well.. never mind Lets go get this up to dear ol' Slug.." he stuttered, picking up the vial Harry had just filled with the potion as he stood up and walked away.

" What was that?" Harry turned to me, his eyes narrowed.

" Typical Ronald, Harry." I replied with a sigh. He chuckled and thats when the bell rang.

_Great, an hour still before Lunch, this day was turning out to be longer than expected._ With that thought, I got up and made my way towards me next class.

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**Liked it? Let me know with a REVIEW! And if you have any suggestions for the plot, lemme know. I'll try and incorporate them into the story! Until next time, Peace xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hola! Dont kill me my dear readers. This time, there's a huge reason for me disappearing like I did. Basically, I moved to another city on 29th of December and it took my almost 15 days to get settled properly. Then I had to wait for a week to get a wifi. Then my little Deutsche Prince (My Nephew) arrived and I've been with him since. Also alot of my family members living around the globe having been coming home for a huge family reunion. So its been pretty hectic around my place lately. Tomorrow, Mom's sister who just arrived all the way from Kuwait is coming to visit us and I've gotta help mommy with the chores. So yeah. But I'm trying my level best to come up with chappies as quick as I can.**

**PS: My birthday is coming up, 28th FEBRUARY! **

**This one is in Draco's POV**

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We each need to make peace with our own memories. We have all done things that make us flinch.** ~Surya Das**

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" Mate.." Blaise hissed yet again. Holy mother of merlin, what the hell was wrong with this world? Couldn't I just have a break? I'd been trying to ignore Blaise's continuous attempts at small talk for the past half an hour. But nothing could deter him from his irritating mission to get him to say something- so finally relenting, with an internal sigh, I inclined my head in his direction to let him know I was listening- or atleast pretending to.

" Granger's been gawking at you for the past five minutes," I could almost hear the amusement dripping in his voice. And I didn't even have to look up to realize that he was sneering. Hearing that was definitely a fuel to my internal fire. With a startled jolt, I sat up straight and consequently locked eyes with none other than the Gryffindor Prissy.

Whether it was the smoke from all the cauldrons or some unseen forces- I'd never know, but the moment my grey eyes locked with her brown orbs, it felt like I'd been thrown down a swirling ocean of emotions- face first. I could tell that she was just as stunned as I felt inside.

She suddenly turned away and made her way towards the two buffoons she called friends. I could tell from her stance that she was still startled. It had been only a mere two second contact, but I was afraid alot had been given away in that little time. And it felt longer than it was too. Strange.

Sighing quietly yet again, I went back to sulking in my seat like before. It was a strange moment, sure. But not of importance as to waste my time on it.

The rest of the lesson went by and then it was time to head for the next lesson. Professor Flitwick greeted us at the entrance of the class and ushered us inside, squeaking like an excited little dwarf he was. I snorted imagining him in a ballerina outfit. Hilarious indeed.

Tuning out everyone was easy. Since younger years, I'd learned alot of things; one of which was the art of blocking out all the unnecessary and unpleasant things. It was simple really, there was always so many things on my mind that it wasn't difficult to get spaced out when needed. The only difference was, that it came as a bother when Father was alive, since I was expected to keep my head at all times but now, seeing as no one was very eager to have my attention, it was almost welcoming.

The bell rang once again signalling the end of class. I stayed behind as everyone rushed out towards the Great Hall and then slowly walked out. Trudging past suits of armors absently, I made my way to the Entrance Hall but instead of going into the crowded hall, I turned towards the dungeons and slowly crept down the stairs. I wasn't hungry.

Well that was a lie. I was hungry, I thought as my stomach growled disapprovingly. The real reason was that I wasn't in the mood for unpleasant tongue lashing and quarrels. Thank you very much.

I slowly made my way to my dorm and lay down, closing the Slytherin green curtains of my four-poster to block out the sun light. The day was only half way over and I already felt tired. Having had no sleep the night prior also had me feeling cranky and out of sorts.

Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I let myself get consumed by all the hazy thoughts and memories.

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_The hallway was dark. The soft buzzing of the numerous portraits on the walls and the gushing wind was the only noise that could be heard in the whole manor. I stood silently, in the shadows, my breathe held cautiously. It was a dangerous decision that I'd made. A life threatening, touch and go verdict that could possibly mean the end of him. His family and all that was dear to him. But he had to do it. One way or another. I was stuck. It was either do or die. And i'd obviously choose life over death, no matter the stakes._

_Taking in a deep breathe, I started tip toeing down the hallway, past the portraits and the huge windows towards the very end. I stopped short in front of a partially opened door. I could hear the soft whispering of the people inside. And there was a vague whimpering sound too. Gulping down the fear that was clogging my throat, I crossed the threshold and entered. Instantly, the chatter died down as the two figures turned towards me. Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange._

_" Come.. my boy.." The despicable man in front of me rasped. I felt the hair on my neck stand up and goose flesh to appear on my skin but I had to act as calm as I possibly could._

_" Master, I knew he'd accept." My crazy aunt whispered excitedly. The Dark Lord raised his hand to silence her and motioned for me to take a seat in front of him. His pale white skin seemed to glow in the flickering fire from the fireplace and his red eyes had this dangerous gleam which could keep a man like Lucius on edge too. I sat down cautiously, never taking my eyes off him. I could feel his presence in my mind, trying to skim through my thoughts, but I had my guards up._

_" So young Malfoy, What have you decided?" He began, smiling eerily._

_I was in a dilemma. I knew this was dangerous than it appeared to be, but at this point now, I couldn't retreat. I was in deep shit and I knew it. The only safe way out was to play along._

_" I'll do it." I stated curtly. Aunt Bella squealed in delight and I heard a weak cheer coming from the whimpering snout, Wormtail. Voldemort's face twisted into a horrible farce of a smile but then suddenly, there was a flash and I was lying on the ground writhing as severe pain bolted through my veins._

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I woke up with a start. Where was I? I sat up in my four-poster, trying to reacquaint with my surroundings. Slowly, comprehension dawned on me. It was just a bad memory. A nightmare. Wiping off the sweat on my forehead and I fumbled through my pants and took out the gold wrist watch that I'd taken off during Potions. It was five minutes past Two. Everyone must be in the Greenhouse right now. Getting off the bed, I decided to skip the lesson and go for a walk instead.

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**So there, please review and lemme know what you think! Your reviews really make me happy. Plus if you have plot ideas, lemme know! xx**

**A special thanks to; **

The green-eyed girl, Issa787, suchafangirl8998, MangoAnime64, watchfulreader **for their reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

******Hello my dear readers! I hope you've been good this past month! I'm back once again, with a new chapter. Alot happened during the time I wasn't updating. It was my birthday on 28th Feb and I had lots of fun. I've got examz starting from next week, but I just cant concentrate on revising. Dunno whats got into me. Anyhoo, here's a new chapter. Hope you enjoy and do let me know what you think! **

******Hermione's POV**

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Mistakes are almost always of a sacred nature. Never try to correct them. On the contrary: rationalize them, understand them thoroughly. After that, it will be possible for you to sublimate them. **- Salvador Dali**

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It was a beautiful day. Moderately cold but slightly rainy- for a first day of the term. The cool zephyr blew in through the large arched windows from above, as we stood huddled close to the table in the green house, listening to Professor Sprout, explaining the Advanced uses of Mandrakes in Medicine.

" Hey, Hermione." Harry whispered. I nodded, letting him know I was listening.

" Have you seen Ron?" He asked. I thought for a moment, as my eyes roamed over each face standing before me. A perfectly Ron-less place at the moment, it seemed to be.

" Nope, where did he go?" I mused, quietly.

" Dunno.." he replied, scratching his head, puzzled.

" We'll go look after him later.. Lets concentrate on the lesson right now.." I shushed him, turning my focus back to the professor. The lesson was informative, since the episode in our second year, I'd become rather fascinated with these gruesome creatures. I walked out of the greenhouse thirty minutes later pleased with what I'd managed to learn and score points for Gryffindor just the first day back.

" I'm going to head up and look for Ron, see you in Transfiguration." Harry whizzed past me, calling out to me over his shoulder. I waved in assent. Making my way towards the castle, I slowed down my pace. Which resulted in me lagging behind everyone but walking slowly, through the slightly wet grass was pleasant.

When suddenly, I heard ruffling coming from the edge of the forest. Alert, and war reflexes kicking in like it was second nature, I quickly took my wand out and silently, tip toed towards the forest. Ducking behind a sycamore, I waited for further clue, with bated breathe. There was more ruffling, and it seemed like whatever it was, was moving deeper into the forest.

Calm but alert I decided on the spot to follow. It was something that I couldn't help myself with. Living through a war had molded me into this female version of Mad-Eye. Slowly, I trekked down the dirt track, trying my best not to fall over and ended up at the edge of a clearing.

Upon further scrutiny it turned out to be the same clearing, we had once brought Umbridge to, in our fifth year. I crouched low, behind the bushes and scooted over to have a better look at the lone figure standing in the middle. It was stock-still and seemed to be in deep thought.

That's when I caught the blinding light reflecting off the top of a Blonde head- wait, Blonde? I narrowed my eyes further and it dawned on me. It was Malfoy, standing in the middle of the clearing. What in the world was he doing there? I thought to myself. Suspicion nagged me into action and with a startling jolt, I stood up and stepped into view. The crunching sound of the twigs under my feet caught his attention, and with a speed of lightning, he turned around to face me, his wand held at the ready.

There was a pregnant pause, in which we both stood still, staring each other down.

" Granger." he acknowledged after a somewhat curt nod. His steely eyes were guarded, unlike those in the Potions class.

" Malfoy." I replied, my brow raised in question.

Another five minutes passed, and I realized he wasn't going to give any kind of explanation for his purpose of taking a casual stroll into the forbidden forest instead of being in the greenhouse, or considering the given moment, in the castle somewhere.

" What are you doing here Malfoy?" I finally broke the silence. His eyes that were previously set on studying a fallen leave on the ground jerked up to lock with mine. A sneer ghosted over his lips as he stood up to his full height- a defensive posture, subtle yet very obtrusive.

" None of your business Mud-Granger." he spoke through his teeth, aggressively. He was clearly furious at my inquisition. I just stood there, watching his pale complexion turn pink with mounting irritation. Clearly someone had woken up on the wrong side of the bed that day.

It was not a big deal for me anymore- his snide remarks, I was way past the stage of actually paying any heed to them. But I was quite surprised by the revelation that even after going through so much shit during the war, his demeanor hadn't changed one bit. It made my blood boil.

" Listen here, Malfoy and this is the only time I'll be telling you this; The war is over, your mighty Lord has been reduced to nothing but a scrap of nightmare for the entire world, and it'd do you good to come off your high horse and start acting like a grown up. The ministry let your family off just because Harry testified for your Mother's actions. Doesn't mean you aren't being watched." I forced out through my teeth too. My clenched fists were turning white.

During all this ranting on my part, he stood indifferently, as if I was a mere figment of his imagination. I couldn't understand how someone could be so-so overbearingly obnoxious. Giving up, I turned around and headed back. Turning back around, just before I headed out of the clearing, I saw him bow his head down and heave a deep sigh.

* * *

" Have you seen Harry?" I asked Dean who was lounging in the Gryffindor common room, munching on some chocolate frogs. I was back in the castle now, I'd searched everywhere for Harry and Ron. But they seemed to have disappeared off the face of the planet.

Walking down the fifth floor corridor, I stopped to adjust my shoe-laces when Ron came out of nowhere and ran straight into my hunched figure.

" Ouch, Watch it!" I yelled, falling down on my back. Looking up, I found an out-of-breathe, red in the face Ron smiling apologetically at me.

" Sorry 'mione, didn't see you there." He extended his hand, which I gratefully accepted and got back on my feet.

" Where in the world have you been? You missed Herbology! Do you even realize how important it is for you to attend at least the first lecture of the session?" I scolded, re-adjusting my school bag.

" 'mione, 'mione-" he began patronizingly.

" Don't you "'Mione me' Ron!" I cut him, peeved as he rolled his eyes.

" Sorry! I was just..uh.." he struggled for words, I noticed his ears had turned pink.

" Out with it, Ronald!" I asked impatiently, We were getting late for Transfiguration!

" I was just-"

" Ron! Hermione!" we both turned to see Harry jogging up to us, holding a folded parchment in one hand.

" There you are! I've been looking for you both all over the place." He began.

" Whats that Harry?" Ron asked, pointing to the parchment.

" I got permission to start practices and trials from tomorrow from professor Mcgonagall" Harry grinned at Ron.

" You what?" I gaped at him.

" Yeah, I mean- look its the last year and since whatever happened during the past year, the spirits have generally been dampened around the place. It'd be nice to have something to look forward too." He clarified, enthusiastically.

" Whatever. Lets head to class, we're getting late." I shrugged. We made our way to the last class for the day, and no one noticed Ron heave a relieved sigh.

**Reviews always make my day! Review review review or bugs bunny will hop on you while you're sleeping! Till the next time- Peace xx**

**And thanks to, **suchafangirl8998 **and **The green-eyed girl **for being contant reviewers! Love you shawties :)xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Surprised? Haha, that was my intention. I know you guys must be wondering, "where did the sun rise up from this morning? For Rosey just posted another chapter, despite having posted one just a day prior!" but my dear readers, the thing is, I'm just in an exceptionally good mood. And also since my examz start from Friday onwards, I wont be touching any kind of gadgets. Yes, that includes my cellphone too-sadly. But anyways, I hope you like this one! On with it now,**

**Draco's POV**

* * *

In my life, I've had thousands of failures, hundreds of wrong decisions, and countless stupid mistakes. But if given the chance to change it?! I'd rather not...Because somehow, my past made me what I am right now. Not hard as a diamond, but strong enough to win my fight. - **Justice Cabral**

* * *

The evening passed in a blur. I stood by my dormitory window gazing outside. It was nearly midnight. Blaise and Theo had been asleep for awhile now, snoring away the stress of the day. The sky was dark, pitch black canvas littered with stars. The moon peeked from behind a cloud, casting long shadows over the forbidden forest. The stillness of the milieu of Hogwarts Grounds seemed drawn out. For once, the stagnancy of the terrain depicted an undercurrent of life. The silence was a legion of unsaid, unheard thoughts and emotions.

Heaving a deep sigh, I swept my eyes over the far end of the quidditch pitch. From where I stood, the goal hoops looked more like those weird toy hoops I'd once seen a muggle boy blowing bubbles through on a trip to Sweden.

Granger's words had been echoing in my head since I'd left the clearing. It was irritating how I couldn't even have some time off for myself. Not that her words had been all a load of bullocks. The strange curiosity that had arisen when Potter had appeared in front of the Wizengamot, about his reasons behind doing so, had come back full force to nag my conscience. After all, it'd be a shame to feel indebted to Potty.

_"...The ministry let your family off just because Harry testified for your Mother's actions. Doesn't mean you aren't being watched..." _She'd said. I felt waves of anger rolling off me, but then it was no good wasting my time thinking of everything that comes out of the know-it-all's mouth. Settling back on in my four poster and closing the curtains, with a silencio thrown in for a good measure, I closed my eyes.

* * *

_"I need to visit my Father, Sir."_

_Dumbledore stopped writing down on the parchment in front of him and looked up at me, his blue eyes twinkling. It was mid way through March, and it was a pleasant sunny day. During the break I'd gotten the word from Professor Snape that Father wanted to see me. So there I was, standing in the middle of the Head master's office._

_" Oh yes! Mr. Malfoy, I do believe I got a letter demanding your urgent attendance at your Father's state in France the other day." He told me vivaciously. His cheeriness was making me sick by the minute. Schooling my features into a blank mask of indifference I nodded along, trying not to sneer at the old lunatic sitting in front of me. And wasting my time it seemed._

_"Yes, sir." I confirmed, impatiently. Dumbledore gave me that deep stare, which made me feel like I was being x-rayed._

_" Here, I have arranged a Portkey for you, which will take you directly outside the state's perimeters. I couldn't make one to get you inside for obvious security reasons. I'm afraid you'll have to find your way through. Have a good day and say hello to Lucius from me." He handed me a small dagger._

_"And also, I prefer, 'crazy old bat', sounds more...concedable if you must." He added with a wink. I stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, and then with a curt nod, I took the dagger from him and within seconds, I felt the unpleasant tugging sensation and found myself outside the gates of the ostentatious manor._

_Walking through the safety wards, I made my way towards the manor. As I trudged along, I couldn't help the grim feelings churning in my stomach. I'd been trying to figure out the reason for such an unexpected subpoena. And I knew the reason wasn't at all pleasurable._

_" Master Malfoy!" A young elf greeted me in the entry hall and lead me to the grand lounge. I hesitated on the threshold, but quickly over coming the fear, stepped inside and stopped dead in my tracks. It seemed like my worst fear had come to pass._

_There in front of my very eyes, sitting like the perfect picture of sophistication was none other than the Dark Lord himself. Father and Aunt Bella, the ever loyal prawns, stood on either side of the High armchair._

_" Welcome my dear boy! nous nous réunissons une fois de plus." He hissed in his bellicose tone._

_" Je vis pour vous servir mon seigneur." I replied dutifully, bowing down but keeping eye contact with him, like I was s'posed to do. His vile features twisted into a repugnant smile and he slowly rose up from his seat and seemed to glide towards me._

_" Come Young Malfoy, the time has finally come for you to prove useful to me. You are a vital part of the big plans I have, and fear not, for the Dark Lord shall reward his most loyal friends, and those who help." Aunt Bella gave a mad cackle in excitement.__I cast a sideways glance at Father, hoping to convey the amalgam of fear and confusion coursing through me. Father could stuff the Malfoy code of conduct up his arse for all I cared because at that very moment, it felt like I was deliberately asking for a kiss of death._

_" Once I purify our world, and wash away all the filth, which has contaminated our domain and took over our rightful places- we shall prosper and rise to the heights of grandeur and power. And you young Malfoy, can help me reach there. You will do the honors, to extradict the one major hurdle in our way. Albus Dumbledore."_

_If they knew already, none of the two people other than myself gave any indication of surprise. I couldn't feel my body. It seemed to have forsaken me. Or maybe the shock of hearing such a direct and abominable command had left me staggering. The silence was piercing and all I wanted was to be back in school, safely tucked under my green silk duvet in my dormitory. _

_Sure, there were no chummy feelings when it came to the old bat, he could stuff himself with dung bombs and do the cha-cha with Peeves for all I cared, but the fact that I was s'posed to not just hurt him, but kill him. Now that was pernicious. In my entire sixteen years of existence, the only thing that I knew for sure was that I couldn't kill someone, hurt them to the extremest that they wish for death-sure, but not kill them.  
_

_I was so lost in my internal agitation that I'd almost forgotten that I was still standing in the presence of one of the most vile wizard in the history of vile wizards. The Dark Lord it seemed, was enjoying the pathetic scenario of my qualms, displayed quite vulnerably- to the dismay of Father._

_" I expect you have now realized the dire urgency of the matter at hand. I expect immediate course of action. But before you leave, Young Malfoy, remember that the Dark Lord has his ways, and he is watching and if it came down to it, the severest of punishments will be in order. I believe you understand the gravity of my words." His red eyes sparkled with brutal contentment. I was drawn to the depths of the red pupils, which seemed to open like a window..._

_I stood in the middle of shiny, flowing blood. My hands limp by my side as I watched her scream and writhe in agony. All I could do was stare on, in mute horror as slowly, her struggle to hold on, ceased and then.. a limp body lay in front of me, twisted in weird angles. Bruised and dirty, floating in its own blood._

* * *

It was lunch time already. I sat in the extreme corner of the table, alone. If the purplish-blue bags under my eyes were not indication enough for my nightmare induced sleeps, then my rumpled attire and the permanent scowl set on my face sure were. I gazed mournfully at the pudding in front of, not at all hungry.

Maybe someone was noticing after all. I felt someone boring holes in my head, turning to side, I briefly caught Granger looking my way and frowning. I stared at her. Realizing she'd been caught, she averted her gaze quickly, looking baffled for some reason.

I scowled at my plate and gave up trying to eat. Grabbing my bag, I headed to my next class, ahead of everyone.

* * *

**nous nous réunissons une fois de plus **french for **we meet again**

**Je vis pour vous servir mon seigneur **french for** I live to serve you my lord.**

* * *

**You know the drill! READ AND REVIEW. I wish I had more reviews? Maybe atleast 50 by now? Thats the kind of response I wish for. Anyhoo! See you in a while and wish me luck for my examz! Peace xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ciao fellas! Whats up? Here's a new chapter! I hope you like it. And do read a little rant fest at the end of this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: **Its funny how people think the need of these are even necessary. I mean, really if I were JKR, I'd still be driving my dad's car!? Think again fellas! In other words, No. I am Not JKR and these Characters are just my fantasy lovers. lol jk.

**Hermione's POV**

* * *

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. - **Ralph Waldo Emerson**

* * *

" Hermione? What do you mean she's not so innocent?" I had been walking down to the Great Hall, when on the first floor corridor, while turning around the corner, I heard Helen, a sixth year whisper to her friend. I ducked behind the suits of armor quickly, hiding from view and trying to catch their words. The sensible part of my brain scoffed at my childish behavior but I ignored it. Squinting past the armor, I tried to recognize the other girl, who stood in front of Helen, but due to Helen's tall frame, I couldn't see who it was.

But really, it'd have had been better to have walked away when I had the chance, for the voice which spoke next gave me the biggest shock of my life.

" Yeah, she ruined my life." the words hung in the air for Hermione to ponder over, as Ginny Weasley swiftly walked away; A flabbergasted and totally stunned Helen following in her wake.

* * *

The day passed by. All I could think of was the words Ginny had spoken. At first, I was too stunned to even process her words. My heart kept nagging me; presenting excuses on Ginny's behalf. At one point, I even wanted to believe it wasn't Ginny I'd heard. But if the Fire-red mane was not enough confirmation that I'd watched make its way down the Great Hall, rooted behind the armor as I stood- then I didn't for the life of me know what was.

Through the years, I thought I had developed a cordial relationship with the girl. I even remember giving her love advice and helping her with her infatuation of Harry back in fourth year. What had gone wrong? Now that I think of it, I can not help but laugh, for who would believe when they'd hear that I- The Prude Extraordinaire dished away relationship advice and practically played the Love Guru for my friends.

At any rate, I tried my level best to analyze every possible aspect of the situation, the cause of her hateful feelings, the reason for her apparent resentment and loathing but I could come up with nothing that I might have done to elicit such provocative thoughts.

" Earth to 'mione.." I was pulled out of my thoughts as Ron waved his huge hands in front of my face. It was currently lunch time and we sat in our usual seats.

" Whats up?" Harry asked with a smile.

" Nothing, sorry.. zoned out for a minute there, what were you saying?" I asked with a smile in turn.

" Nothing really, just discussing about the new additions to the team this year. And Ginny here has agreed to play Chaser." He smiled, kissing Ginny's hand. I glanced at the girl sitting next to him and saw her fake a smile. It was not the Ginny Weasley I knew and I wanted to know what was going on that head. I didn't realize I'd been staring unseeingly past Ginny's head at the boys sitting on the other end of the table until Malfoy's gaze caught mine.

The events of the day prior came back to me, frowning as his defeated and resigned posture flooded my mind, I turned my gaze away. He looked sleep deprived. Deciding I couldn't eat anymore, I stood up.

" Where are you going?" Harry asked.

" I'll head back to the common room. I think I'm stuffed." I declared.

" Pish posh! you haven't even touched anything on your plate. You have to eat, if you want to stay alive. How can you go without eating 'mione?" The prospect of not eating sure presented a huge shock to one Ronald Weasley. Rolling my eyes at his hyperbolical display I turned around.

" Nevermind Ron, its a concept beyond you. Carry on guys, I'll catch you later." With that I made my way out of the Great Hall.

* * *

" Miss Granger?" I looked up from my book to see Professor Mcgonagall standing in the portrait hole, beckoning me. Every gaze in the room turned curiously towards me. I placed my book on the chair next to me and walked towards her.

" I would like you to see me in my office in - she peered at her watch through her spectacles- ten minutes. I have a proposition for you. See you in ten minutes. Do not be late Miss Granger." she turned around as I nodded my head in reassurance.

Sitting back down, I quickly went over my potions essay and put it away in my bag. I wondered what kind of proposition she was talking about. From the look of it, it was something serious, or Professor wouldn't have come knocking at her door herself.

Deciding there was no point in sitting around waiting, I made my way out of the door and headed for the Head Mistress's office. On my way however, I was stopped by my two best friends who were covered in dirt and sweat and were waving down the corridor at me with huge smiles. I walked up to them.

" Hey there!"

" 'ello! Guess what?" Ron cut to the chase.

" What?" I asked, trying to gauge from their expression what was up with them,

" We're hosting a Quidditch Competition, like the triwizard one but, its not that huge. We'll have teams coming from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang for like a week and we'll be having matches from each house, that'll be up against theirs. Gon' be loads of fun!" Ron gushed. For a moment, I just stood there, reliving the events of the previous tournament.

Seeing my grave expressions, Harry engulfed me in a hug.

" That was the past Hermione. Nothing will go wrong. Please stop worrying your head." He whispered in my ear soothingly. I broke apart to look him in the eyes.

" I hope so." I said, biting my lips. Ron seemed to be oblivious to the exchange of thoughts going on between us as he gazed unseeingly at statue of Boris the Bewildered.

" Eugh, I smell horrible. We need to go shower Harry." He spoke up.

" Yeah, you guys do need a thorough cleansing." I said screwing my face as the odor caught up.

" Right. We shall get going," Harry began, then stopped. " Where ya off to?" He turned to ask me.

" Oh, I was just heading to meet Professor Mcgonagall. She needed to talk to me about something. See you later guys!" I said, turning the corner and hurrying down the stairs, minding the missing steps. I had only five minutes left to get to the office.

* * *

" Have a seat Miss Granger. I see you are on time." She said, with a smile gesturing to the seat in front of me. I didn't catch her words first time, for I was busy staring at the back of a blonde head, seated in front of the professor. My lack of response allowed the two occupants of the room to stare at me. Feeling flushed and a wee bit embarrassed, I shuffled forward and took my place, willing for composure.

" What did you wish to discuss with me Professor?" I asked timidly, casting a peripheral look at Malfoy.

"Yes Miss Granger, I was coming to that." She replied, giving me a small smile.

Over the years, I had discovered a softer side to the lady sitting in front of me. She did seem strict and kind of emotion-less at first glance, but seeing what she'd gone through during her youth and then again in her later life, which could be summed up as fighting Voldemort was well- self explanatory actually.

" Well, to start off with I'd like to tell you that the reason we didn't choose any head students this year was because it would've created some issues since, of course having you lot still around, choosing heads from the new seventh years would have been quite frankly futile. And by choosing you people, we'd be unfair to the seventh years since it is after all their last year here." She explained.

" I did wonder about it, but Its alright really. I don't think after everything we eighth year students would want any additional lime light. " I offered my opinion. Professor turned to Malfoy, as if asking for his opinion. I registered a subtle nod of agreement.

" So moving on to the more pressing matters, I would like you two to see this." She handed us both, official-looking parchments. I studied the Purplish-blue seal on it and opened to read.

For around ten minutes, there was a hushed silence in the room as I and Malfoy read through the document. After I'd gone through it, I looked up to stare at the Professor, not quite believing my eyes.

" Professor.." I began.

" Before you argue Miss Granger, I'd like to tell you that this was originally propositioned by Shacklebolt himself."

" I can not believe this."

* * *

**So friends, I hope you liked the chapter so far.**

**Recently I've noticed that the hits have been increasing, but the reviews still remain a measly 13 or something. I really want you guys to let me know what you think of the story. Even a single word review would be enough. So when you read, do review. I'll enable Anon reviews for you guys! so that even if you dont have an account, you can review! I'm really looking forward to your thoughts! Concrit is always welcome. And any ideas for the future chapters will be much appreciated and I love reading what you guys think will happen next! So stay tuned for more and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! **

**Anyways, I also need a Beta. Its really hard for me to go through every chapter a hundred times and sometimes I get stuck while connecting different straws, so an extra hand would be appreciable! You can PM me if you're interested or if you wana refer someone, go ahead! And yeah, I'm a Dramione fan through and through, so if you have any recommendations, do PM me! Lots of Love - Roseyxx**


	8. Chapter 8

**HEY EVERYONE! My Goodness, 3 chapters in a row in 2 weeks! you guys must be loving me right now haha! No? Okay. Anyways, I hope you like this one. I'm not too sure where the story is heading, I would love some suggestion, if you guys would be kind enough to leave any. And this is by far the longest chapter I've ever written. I thought Examz will kill my muse, but this time around I've been having quite the opposite effect on my imagination! Anyways, leave me a review after you're done. And to all my readers, Its Easter Weekend coming up! Hope you have a good time. **

**On with it.**

**Draco's POV**

* * *

It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. It is not movement that destroys the machinery, but friction. - ******Henry Ward Beecher**

* * *

_Dear Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger,_

_I am writing to you, on behalf of all the highly regarded officials of the Ministry of Magic. It has recently been brought to our attention that since after the war, the only people who know the proper sequence of events is only You, (Miss Granger), Mister Potter of course and Mister Ronald Weasley. And from the Dark side, since the Malfoy family played a vital role with-holding high ranks in Voldemort's inner circle, thus Mister Malfoy is as aware of the details, I'm sure._

_We all know how very painful this task will be for you, but in the face of the coming years and keeping in mind the rights of the future generation for the authentic knowledge of our history, we have by a unanimous consensus agreed that a full detailed account of the war should be recorded. And we all agree that no one but Miss Granger is capable of such task._

_We also know that, right now everyone and specially you people would like nothing more than to bury the gruesome thoughts of the war deep somewhere, but in order to achieve full peace of mind, I'm afraid you all will have to face this last demon. And I assure you, this will actually help._

_So, I would request you both to start working on this project as soon as you can. I will further notify you both about the time limit and such details later in this week. You will both have to sign the contract attached to your respective letters and I will be hoping to receive them first thing in the morning tomorrow._

_Regards,_

_Kingsley Shacklebolt_

_Minister of Magic_

* * *

The ticking of the Grandfather clock standing in the corner of the room was the only sound that could be heard in the otherwise silent room. Granger and I sat facing Mcgonagall who looked almost sheepishly down her nose at us. With a subtle turn of my head, I could see Granger sitting stock-still, her mouth slightly open like a gaping fish, and her knuckles which clutched the armchair- as if it might swallow her up any moment to give her a way out of this predicament, were pale white.

To think being locked up in one's own house was the worst punishment seemed laughable right now. Nothing was more painful than having to relive the horrors of the war. Even Saint Potter was known to wake up screaming from nightmares at night often. I could almost see Kingsley, looking down at me from his high Minister chair, holding his wand in a condescending manner. Hell, Avada was nothing compared to this deliberate torture. Even Granger wasn't this much of a sadist to agree to this.

" I-.." It was the nth time Granger had started speaking and then trailed off right in the middle of speaking her damn thoughts. It was starting to get annoying.

" I see you both need some time to come to terms with this. Although, personally I do not know why you guys have to go through this, you are only children for heaven's sake! But since the Minister has been insisting we allocate this task to you and only you two. I find my hands tied. But I will give you both till before curfew to buck yourself up. And you might now have realized, this sugar-coated request is anything but. You have to do it, by hook or crook." She concluded, arching her brow at me, as if I would leash out any second.

How badly I wanted to do just that!

Nodding curtly, I got up as Granger did too and still clutching the damned letters, we silently made our way out of the office. I turned away from her the moment I was outside and made my way to the only place I could think of which may appease my churning conscience.

Walking thrice in front of the wall, I waited as the door to the Room Of Requirements appeared. Checking for any watchful eyes, I quickly crossed over the threshold and let the door melt back to its wall-form.

Ever since that horrendous sixth year, I'd sought refuge in this isolated haven. Expressing my thoughts was never something I could achieve, in all my eighteen years of life. In this regard, I truly was a Malfoy, since the Golden rule in the Book of How to Behave Like A True Malfoy was to never show emotions. Whether it be love, affection or even hate. Aloofness was the armor that every Malfoy was raised to hide oneself behind. But I was still, only human. As much as Father had hated that fact.

Hence the exploration of this place. I moved down the narrow corridor, following the usual path I had taken, all year previously and the year before that too, and entered the room which the Room of Requirement had conjured up specially for me. With a sigh of longing, I lowered myself onto the plush armchair placed in front of the roaring fireplace and let the parchment that I was still holding, drop to the floor.

* * *

_It had been a week since I'd visited Father in France. For the whole damned world, nothing was wrong. But I hadn't slept properly in what felt like eons. Thoughts of the mission I'd been forced to carry out plagued my mind at all times. The off chance of failing entirely, presented with ghastly thoughts of what the bastard has threatened to do.  
_

_Somewhere deep down in the grim bottom nooks of my heart, I knew it was going to happen anyways, it was just the matter of time and the right opportunity. Sitting in the dark room, which the Room of Requirement had transformed itself into, I gazed into the crackling fire, as my mind raced. To find a way, any way to accomplish the task at hand. But it was easier said than done and the possibility of getting caught was another issue. _

_But what really bugged me was the way Snape had started acting, as if he cared. Cared my foot, I knew he was just after the 'high reward and prestige' that would be given to anyone who performed this vile task. Snape had always been a sucker for power. Although he was my God Father and hell, I loved him more than I loved Lucius, but his constant nagging was driving me up the wall, but of course I would never admit that, out loud._

_Then there was Potter, Holy Hell. If it were up to that git, He'd make it a saintly ritual to poke his chivalrous nose into everyone's business. I knew he had been suspicious of me joining the ranks, and yes, I did at some point, deliberately wanted for him to know. I don't like to think of the reasons why, but well stupid Potter, ever the oblivious one._

_After a long night of delineating, the next morning had me up bright and early -though very very very grumpy and making my way to the owlery with a letter addressed to the one person who as much as I hated, might be able to help._

* * *

It might be difficult. Hell, I was damn sure it was going to be the worst decision, more so than ever agreeing with the initiation of the Dark Mark even, which had brought with it seven colors of bad luck but the Old Minister was right, maybe. Maybe, If I let the suppressed thoughts find their way out of my system, I'll be able to achieve my Nirvana? I might just be able to cut off all the strings with past and begin once again?

Having that thought in mind, I checked the time. Only 15 minutes left before curfew. With a sigh, I got up and made my way out of the room, having had signed the document and gone through it once again.

I slowly walked towards Mcgonagall's office when right before turning a corner, I was stopped by a lurking shadow, hiding behind the suits of armor by a large window on the second floor that had caught my eye.

Stopping dead in my tracks, I turned towards it only to find the dumb face of weasel, turning pink being caught. I stood before him, a good 2 inches tall, and sneered down at him, with my brow raised in question.

" What the hell are you doing here?" I drawled, which I knew irked the red head to no end.

" None of your business Malferret," he replied, turning pinker, if it was possible. He stood straight, coming out of behind his hiding spot and I could smell a faint odor of potions.

" What the fuck were you doing sneaking into the potions lab?" I asked, suspiciously. His head jerked in alarm. But before he could reply, Peeves went past blowing raspberries and creating mayhem.

" Damn Peeves," Weasley cursed, taking off before I could make any move to corner him. Staring at his retreating figure, I couldn't help but have the feeling that the Red head was up to something fishy. Shaking my head, being nosy was after all a pure Gryffindor trait. Finding it feasible to take off before the sodding care taker caught him standing the in the middle of the corridor.

When I entered the office, Granger- of course was already present, and in the middle of a serious discussion for what I could gather from her know-it-all way of getting engrossed in the conversation that she hadn't noticed my presence until Mcgonagall looked up to gesture me to take a seat. I sat down curtly and after a pause, handed her my document.

" Alright, its good to know you have agreed to this without much trouble. I apologize for the inconvenience anyways. But as I was asking Ms. Granger here what you both will do in order to compensate this task with your studies, I ask you the same. You both have to appear for the N.E. in June, and I wouldn't want my top two students compromising study time like this." She asked.

" I think we should wait till the Ministry further sends us the criterion and details and then I'm sure we can devise a particular day and time to meet up and work together somewhere?" Granger suggested. I just nodded my head slightly. It wasn't my headache after all, and I was gonn' make it clear to her as soon as possible too. For you never know, by the end of this, the world might be Granger-less because her constant nagging had forced me to strangle her to death or something.

" Mr. Malfoy, I think you both should now retire to your dormitories and I'll notify you when I have any more information. Now shoo before the curfew bell rings." And with that, we were dismissed.

Walking out of the office, I decided to really head back for the dormitory instead of my haven- as I'd come to call it in my head all this time, but whatever deity it was up there, really was trying me out tonight for I was stopped by Granger calling out to me. I turned around slowly, as she caught up to me.

" Yes?" I inquired, trying my best not to scowl but failing.

" I-I just wanted to say that.." she trailed off, staring into my eyes. It was still staggering, the dark pools of her orbs. As I waited for her to continue, I couldn't help but notice the delicate facade of calm that she had conjured up to mask the horrors which lay beyond, for I saw the same but slightly better composed facade in my eyes every day.

" You might fancy spending the whole night standing in this corridor Granger, but I'd rather be somewhere else right now." I gritted out through my teeth, losing my patience because of her prolonged silence.

" I just.. Look, I know we've had too much bad blood between us to even try this, but I think in order to work as a team, we'll have to call a truce. I would try my best to not let the past incidents get the best of me as long as you keep your tongue and actions in check. Well that's all." She rushed through her words as if fluffy was after her and would jump out of a corner any minute now and strangle her. Well, I was thinking for strangling her a lot today, I thought to myself.

Staring at her was fun, the way she started squirming under my gaze uneasily was sure something worth watching but cutting her torment short, I gave a curt nod and without a word turned around to make my way to the dungeons and another night of restless sleep.

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**You know the drill. Review Review Review and well, Review :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello Everyone, I am back with a new chapter. I should be studying for my CIE which are in like four days but hell I needed a break! So I decided to finish this chapter which was gathering dust having been sitting in my document file for ages and finally post it. I'm a nervous wreck, guys wish me luck! I have worked so hard this past year and now the time for the FINAL TESTING draws ever nearer and I'm a nervous wreck! Sorry for the abrupt ending of this chapter, but I couldn't be bothered to disturb the story line just because I was eager to get this chapter out in a rush, to make it up, I'll try to make the next chapter extra long! Fair enough I guess? **

**Also, if you guys have any questions or suggestions, you can chat me up on twitter : Jbiebxrose :)**

**Happy Reading! **

**Hermione's POV**

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In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past but you will find yourself. It will be a permanent self, rooted in awareness and creativity. Once you have captures this, you have captured the world. -** Deepak Chopra**

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Clutching the letter tightly in my grip, I made my way back towards the common room. I was sure my face looked like I'd seen Voldemort being reborn again or something similar but I couldn't control the troubling emotions that were wreaking havoc in my mind.

_"_.._everyone and specially you people would like nothing more than to bury the gruesome thoughts of the war deep somewhere..."_

___"...achieve full peace of mind..."_

_____"...face this last demon..."_

Deep down, somewhere in the dark recesses of my soul, untouched and ignored since the war, I could feel the need of a catharsis. Ever since the war had been over, specifically, the moment Voldemort had dropped dead, it had seemed like a heavy bulk had been lifted off my chest.

There were times during the battle, when I just wanted to give up. There were also times, when seeing the things Harry had to go through made me want to break down- I was a girl after all. But there was that determination in his eyes, in his actions, that gave me the strength, to hold on, to be there for my friends even when the world was tearing apart right before my eyes.

I'd buried it all, the memories, the feelings, the thoughts. In a way, I'd consider myself almost greedy for mental serenity. I craved it.

"Watch out young lady!" A shrill voice yelled, just before I walked right into the portrait of the Fat Lady.

" Ow!" rubbing my nose, I looked up sheepishly and uttered the password. Muttering about "insolent fools" and whatnot, the portrait swung open and I climbed in to find Harry and Ron by the fire side playing chess.

" Hey there! What happened?" Ron asked, around a mouthful of creme cakes.

" Hi. I..well.." Both of them stared at me, but I couldn't exactly phrase my thoughts. That sure was a historic moment, and I for one could bet my Latest edition of 'Hogwarts : A History' that if a slytherin would've seen me in this state, might have died of shock.

" Out with it already 'mione!" Ron groaned. Taking a deep breathe, I relayed all that had happened in McGonagall's office earlier.

" Blimey!"

" Holy Pants of Merlin!"

Harry went quiet after the little exclamation and for some reason, and which totally surprised me, Ron too. We all sat in complete silence for some time, each lost in their own arduous thoughts.

What was it that was worrying me? I couldn't pin point one reason. Maybe it was the fact that I'd have another tiring task crammed into my already hectic schedule? Or maybe that the future of the coming generations in regards of their knowledge about the truth now rested solely on my shoulders? Or perhaps that working with Malfoy would be difficult. In any case, I still had to do it, by the looks of it. Whether it be easy or drive me insane.

" I think I'm just going to sign it and go hand it over to Mcgonagall now," I broke the heavy silence. I turned to look at my two best friends, crime partners and life savors, and they stared right back at me, each with understanding and support in their eyes.

" I'll be off then." With that, I signed the document, making a copy of it- just in case and set off for McGonagall's office.

There were still twenty minutes till curfew, but I couldn't possibly stand outside the office, or Filch might catch me and throw some merry detention my way, so I knocked on her door and walked in.

Professor looked up from the parchment she was marking and it looked to be a first year's, from all the crossing out and ink blots-_ really says the one whose best friends practically dumped the whole parchment in ink even now, in their last year!_ I thought to myself as I sat down.

Soon Malfoy joined us too. It was a demanding task, that was for sure. But after analyzing about it to bits, I had decided I'd give my best. No matter what it took, after all I wouldn't want the future generations to hear fabricated lies and live with distorted half truths.

It wasn't long before we both got dismissed and made our way outside. Something had been nagging me all this time. Everything was going to work out one way or another I knew, but the fact that Malfoy and I were like two sides of a coin, created a huge obstacle and frankly I was too much too tired of the bickering, so gathering all my pride and confidence, I called him out, as he was leaving,

" I-I just wanted to say that.." I trailed off, as his grey eyes stared right into mine. If I hadn't known better, I might have had believed that his eyes held some kind of magical powers, for every time I made eye contact with him, I felt a buzzing run through my entire being, like a beckoning call of a veela to its mate.

" You might fancy spending the whole night standing in this corridor Granger, but I'd rather be somewhere else right now." He spoke through his teeth sounding bored, and I jumped slightly, coming out of my reverie. Once again, I pulled myself together- albeit a bit dazedly and began,

" I just.. Look, I know we've had too much bad blood between us to even try this, but I think in order to work as a team, we'll have to call a truce. I would try my best to not let the past incidents get the best of me as long as you keep your tongue and actions in check. Well that's all." I rushed through my words and waited for him to respond. He just stared at me for a minute, as if I was a Grindylow on display, which was making me quite uncomfortable. But then, he nodded and by God, I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. And with that, he left.

* * *

A week passed and I was still anxiously waiting for any word from the Ministry. The Late November winds were getting colder and it rained almost continuously. On one hand, the delayed response from Ministry made me feel relieved. Perhaps, I wouldn't have to shoulder such a big responsibility after all, but on the other hand, I couldn't help but get all jittery. I swear I was going berserk!

Since it was a Sunday, I'd decided to sleep in. But turned out, I was way too anxious for that, and that is why I was up at Dawn, wrapped up in my thick woolen jacket walking down the towards Hagrid's. It had been ages since I'd had a proper talk with him, and I did miss his exceptional cooking skills, I thought to myself with a smile.

His little hut looked as it always did, warm and cozy and kind of homey. I walked up to the front door and knocked, but surprisingly, no one answered. I waited for a minute and then decided to head back, and come later in the evening with Harry and Ron most probably.

"'Mione!" I heard him call out as I was leaving. I turned around with a smile, to find his half giant self leading a panting Fangs towards the hut. He opened the door and we all filed in. After starting the fire and putting the water for boiling he sat down and smiled at me. His black eyes, filled with an innocence had always made his appearance look less scary. Whatever may the Slytherins say, Hagrid was truly one of the best people around Hogwarts.

" How have you been? Its been such a long time!" I asked him.

" Yeah, long time no see, I thought ya guys had 'orgotten 'bout me." he chuckled,

" Of course not! You know how it was after the..." I trailed off and a heavy silence hung over, as we both thought of all those people we'd lost. I heard him sigh heavily and I knew who he missed the most. Standing up from my place, I walked to him and put a consoling hand on his shoulder.

" I'm sorry Hagrid, she didn't deserve it." I whispered, he sniffed into a huge handkerchief and nodded.

" I dint think that vile bastard 'ould do that to her, she was so nice.." he mumbled. I stared at him sadly, recalling that time.

Dismissing the flashbacks, I busied myself by pouring the tea into large cups and handed one over to him.

" So whatcha been doin'?" He asked with a smile.

" Oh you know how studies are, We have been busy trying to get used to this school routine. Its been so long, seems like ages to me, " I told him with a sigh, he nodded his head, a sparkle shining in his eyes.

" Hagrid, I just wanted to say..."

" Yeah?"

" You know we are always here for you, Harry and Ron love you as much and I don't think they'd want you to be upset, yea?"

" I know I know.." He dismissed me with a huge smile,

" Anyways, its almost time for me to get back to the castle. I'll see you around." With that, I left, walking briskly towards the castle. Climbing the stairs slowly, I almost didn't notice as I ran into someone,

" Watch out!" the petite figure hissed.

" Sor-" I almost froze looking into Ginny's blazing eyes. There was a tense pause in which I was trying to figure how to act. I mean, I couldn't just outright confront her for the little scene I'd witnessed, more like eavesdropped on the other day.

" You need to watch out 'Mione." I was stunned into silence as I saw her features switch from hostile to fake pleasant in a blink of an eye as she walked passed. Shrugging my shoulders, I ascended the rest of the stairs and made my way to wake up the two sleepy heads. If it were a Quidditch match today, they'd have had been at the crack of dawn, up and about, Why couldn't they be as enthusiastic about life in general?

I entered their dormitory, banging the door on purpose. But as expected, the loud snores of Neville and Ron didn't cease. Conjuring ice cold buckets of water, I readied myself for some action. With a breathy count of 3, I dumped it over the boys simultaneously.

" HOLY MOTHER OF MERLIN"

" WHAT THE-"

" ARRRGGHHHH"

" DAMN YOU PEEVES! I SWEAR- Oh 'Mione"

I just smirked at the boys, (which might just give Malfoy a run for his money if I might add) as they stared back at me soaked right through their pajamas.

" What was that for?" Ron growled, with a scowl.

" I'll be waiting for you both downstairs, you have exactly ten minutes." With that I turned around to leave but before closing the door, I poked my head through the door,

" And Neville, Professor Sprout was looking for you and Seamus Parvati is really pissed off, I believe you had an early breakfast date with her?"

" Shit!" Both boys exclaimed scrambling out of their sheets. With a smile I descended down. As I came down, everyone turned to look at me. Any other time I wouldn't have noticed, but this time the way they looked as if hell had frozen over was quite frankly a bit creepy.

" Something the matter?" I politely inquired from a fourth year. After the initial shock of getting addressed directly was over, she nodded her head and stuttered,

" Mr. M-M-Malfoy is asking f-for you. H-he's outside in the corridor." Okay, so their freaked out expressions were justified, after all how often do you see a slytherin, and not just any but the Prince of Slytherin step into Gryffindor territory on purpose?

" Tell Harry and Ron, I'll meet them in the Great Hall," I told Parvati and made my way out of the portrait hole.

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**You know the drill, READ AND REVIEW! I'LL GIVE YOU VIRTUAL COOKIES :) xx**

**PS : Its not relevant but I listened to "One More Time - Kim Hyun Joong" while writing this, I'm in love with Korean music and Dramas! and Kim Hyun Joong is just my kinda guy hehe ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I know I promised to update with a much longer chapter, but you will have to excuse me this time. Tragedy struck me right across the face, and I have to now reappear for my exams due to some lack of inefficiency on the administrations part. And its not just me, people all over the country have to do it. Such bad luck ugh! Anyways, here's another chapter anyways. I hope you like it, let me know x**

**Draco's POV**

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"On the death of a friend, we should consider that the fates through confidence have devolved on us the task of a double living, that we have henceforth to fulfill the promise of our friend's life also, in our own, to the world." ― **Henry David Thoreau**

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There was some noise, and it sounded so much like Granger talking, but how the fuck could Granger be in my room right now? But why does she keep getting louder and louder? Damn that incessant chatterbox! I woke up with a headache, which seemed almost as pathetic as I usually did after a night of fire whiskey.

Blinded by the brightness of the morning, although the sun was meek in the otherwise grey sky, I sat up and groaned. But the fucking tapping wouldn't stop. That's when I realized the noise was coming from the window. I quickly fought my way out of the rumpled sheets and clicked open the window to let the annoying bird inside. It was a black scary looking barn owl, with a crooked face. It kind of reminded me of that horrible Dark Arts professor in our fourth year with that weird eye; Mad Eye Moody.

The little bastard glared at me, probably for keeping it waiting like that. I couldn't help but sneer back, the little piece of shit just about ruined my already miserable morning. I hadn't been able to sleep again, and I had run out of dreamless sleep draught too. Or maybe I was just scared that I might end up getting addicted to the damn potion so I didn't brew a new batch, which I must say, I was pro at doing by now.

The owl hooted once again, and I was brought back to the here and now, I looked down to see the scary thing holding its leg out, to which I could see an officially sealed letter attached quite securely. My stomach churned, as I realized it was a letter from the Ministry, possibly having the details of the Mission-Impossible.

After about five minutes of wrestling with the owl and the stupid string, '_Bloody wankers had tried to secure it a bit too much, the fucking knots wouldn't open!'_ I finally was able to summon some common sense into my sleepy brain and use my wand to open it, I shooed the owl out of the dorm and sat down on my bed, staring at the envelope with the emerald seal on it.

I was contemplating whether to open the thing, read it, ignore it and then burn it or just ignore it and burn it anyways. That's when an angry Granger happened to cross my mind and that is also when I decided it was better to just frigging go with the flow and let the chips fall where they may. So, after stuffing the letter in the drawer, I quickly headed towards the bathroom to get ready for the day. Even though it was the weekend, but now that I was awake, I knew going back to sleep would be impossible.

By the time I was dressed and ready, it was almost time for breakfast, but I knew from personal experience that everyone would be sleeping in, or just lazying about anyways. I had initially decided to sought out Professor Mcgonagall and ask her to notify Granger and as such, but I realized in time the trouble it would cause me to search up the Old cat all over the castle, so deciding to inform the know-it-all personally would be much less hard work, albeit a bit morosely, I made my way to the Gryffindor Tower to face the music, as they say.

The portrait of the mad lady who looked just about to burst stared at me with beady eyes as I approached for what I knew to be the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower which I had learnt about during the war. Halting in front of the portrait, I pondered over how to get inside, of course.

" What do you want?" the Fat Lady asked, quite rudely- if I might say so myself.

" I have business with Miss Granger," I replied curtly. She almost scared me half to death as she started laughing, then stopped suddenly to give me a stunned and utterly disbelieving look.

" Pardon?" she began, sarcasm dripping from her tone. Fuck. I was slowly losing my patience. To hell with manners and ethics and all that bull, the stupid artificial cow was asking for it.

" Either let me in or call Granger. I need to talk to her. Now." I gritted out, glaring at the portrait. She sucked in a huge breathe, and really this time I knew she would burst but thankfully, just as she was about to open her damn mouth to spit out insults and yell at me in her annoying malodorous voice, the portrait swung open and a girl walked out, probably a fourth year. But as her eyes drew to mine, she stopped in her tracks and I wondered for a moment how would I explain a mad-out-of-her mind portrait lady and a knocked out student, if anyone caught me here. I cleared my throat to get her attention and she jumped.

" Y-Yes? H-How may I help you?" She stuttered pathetically, not really looking into my eyes,

" I need to have a word with Granger," I told her calmly. Her eyes turned wide for moment as she gaped at me, then without a word, turned right back, the way that she had come and scurried back.

Now I was rather furious. What the bloody hell was wrong with everyone? It wasn't only him who had supported the Dark Lord during the war, there were other students belonging to death eater families too, but still I was the only one who was seen as a bloody outcast! I was the one who had to go through forced isolation, Lucius or not.

I was busy cussing my fore-fathers for being indulged in Dark Arts to begin with that I didn't notice as Granger came out, her face set into a brisk, guarded mask and raised her brow at me as a greeting.

" The letter has arrived." I informed her coolly, and turned on my heels, knowing now that I had her attention piqued, she'd definitely follow. Keeping a well ten yards distance, I led her to the only place I knew we wouldn't have to worry over shameless wayfarers gawking us all the time. Pacing back and forth in front of the Room of Requirement, I led her inside, the lamps and candles. coming to life casting dark shadows as we moved in towards the little living room that had been conjured up for our use.

" We will be using this place to work. I do not wish to have any more company than strictly necessary." I spoke aloud. in a clear-cut voice. I took my seat on the couch, facing a little coffee table across which Granger was making herself comfortable.

There was silence so uncomfortable that I could feel it creeping up back towards my neck, and I suddenly had the urge to shake my head like a dog.

" Can I see the letter?" she demanded after sometime. I took it out of my robe's pocket and handed it to her. Sitting back in my seat, I watched her carefully as she tore open the seal and with slightly shaking hands, drew the parchment from within and started scanning it.

Having nothing else to do, I just closed my eyes, as the calm and quiet of the room took over my senses and closed my eyes,

* * *

_" What are you doing here?" the voice made me jump as I was pulled out of my thoughts. Regaining my composure, I stared at her with an air of indifference._

_" Whats it to you Parkinson?" She smirked at me, and I could tell that she could read right through my facade._

_" Well **Drakie**, Its not everyday that you find the Penultimate Malfoy Heir procrastinating in an empty corridor, in the middle of the night no less." she replied moving to stand next to me against the window, facing the empty stretch of wall, which we both well knew hid the entrance to the Room of Requirement._

_" And its not every day for the Devil's queen to be wandering around alone at night either, some beast might be out there to get her." I avoided answering her with my own credence. She gave a little chuckle and shook her head,_

_" Seriously Drake, what's gotten into you lately? And it's not just me saying this, mind you, everyone has been talking about your rather prodigious and uncaring attitude towards things lately. You don't even tease the mudblood anymore. Even Crabbe and Goyle have noticed." It looked to me like she had been wanting to corner me for this gargantuan interrogation for ages. I tilted my head slightly, staring at a point somewhere past her shoulder._

_" I've been... busy." I tried the being-evasive card. But I knew it wouldn't make her shut up, and if I were to have some peace of mind for some time in future, I had to keep her distracted. So I continued,_

_" Father wrote to me the other day, to inform me about the- ah, arrangements being made at home." I told her, as if it was a crucial enough reason to demand such kind of late night meandering. " It is my duty to ask this of you, and I believe right now is a time as better as any." I could feel her tense up. So she already knew, I thought to myself._

_" Will you, Miss Pansy Parkinson, do me the honors of becoming my wife and the future Lady Malfoy?" There was no emotion, no promises of stars and moons, there was no spark at all. Somewhere within our hearts we knew it was as much a forced union as it could be believed individually but the cons weighed way more than the pros, if we decided to run from this reality. Nightmare would have been a better adjective really._

_" If I had a choice, I would love to turn you down and leave you with the shock of being rejected for once in life and it would be sweet revenge too, so very sweet but that is wishful thinking, so Yes Mr. Malfoy, I will be your wife for the rest of our lives, till death do we part." she replied, rather dramatically. A harsh laugh escaped through my lips and I turned away from her, shielding the morose and disgust I knew was evident in my eyes directed at myself, my Father and anyone I could think of actually._

_We may never have been romantically attracted to each other, but over the years, I'd come to find this pug-faced chick a real comfortable company. The whole throwing herself all over me was innocent flirting and we both had rather enjoyed the occasional rendezvouses, although even those had been limited to snogging against walls and empty broom closets._

_Taking out an emerald-studded ring out of my pocket, I slipped it on her finger and then charmed it so that it would be visible to only us. Orders from Father of course. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the midnight breeze hit my face as Pansy was busy admiring her ring, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself back in that terrifying hell hole. I stared in horror._

_I stood in the middle of shiny, flowing blood. My hands limp by my side as I watched her scream and writhe in agony. All I could do was stare on, in mute horror as slowly, her struggle to hold on, ceased and then.. a limp body lay in front of me, twisted in weird angles. Bruised and dirty, floating in its own blood._

* * *

"Malfoy? Hey! Malfoy? Wake up!" I could feel someone poking my side with a sharp something, I tried to grab it in order to throw it away, when consciousness dawned upon me and I sat up with a gasp.

It took me a moment to realize my surroundings and that I was gasping for air, covered in sweat. My eyes snapped to Granger who stood by my couch, her wand drawn, ready to strike, her eyes showing panic and bewilderment. Standing up, on shaky legs, I dismissed her with a fierce glare and stomped out of the room without another word.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Hello my faithful readers! I'm back with a new chapter, I hope you like it!**

**Hermione's POV**

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"Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure." - **Stephen King**

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Sometimes I wonder what happens when a person dies, or more specifically since that incident in the Department of Mysteries, on the other side of the veil. I'm sure I'm not the first one to ponder over that, but ever since the war ended, the thoughts of dying had clung to me like second skin.

I saw it happen in various forms, sometimes a quick spell and the victim wouldn't even realize what had happened until he would find himself falling, lifeless. Sometimes, the victim faced a quantum of inhumanity, torture and despotism after which they'd succumb to the sweet silence of death, welcoming it with open arms.

Disasters had plagued our long journey to freedom from the darkness which had suffused all over the wizarding world. People had changed, and it was okay but somethings were still the same, Draco Malfoy's complete baboon-ness being one of them. It sure came as a shock to find the grey-eyed enigma practically appear on the door-step of Gryffindor territory but what was more amusing was his utter display of indifference. I could bet my kidneys had it been any other day, he'd have been stampeding around, throwing up a tantrum about having to work with a mudblood.

As I made myself comfortable in the room conjured up for our work, I waited for him to hand me the letter, but he kept staring at me in a thoughtful manner, making the awkardness bar rise up immensely. After a pause, I finally found my voice and demanded to read the letter, which he handed me over and continued to relax in his armchair, completely disregarding me as I buried my nose into the official statistics and tedious instructions. According to the letter, they were both supposed to interview some important figures on both sides, plus some of the lesser involved; and a general recount of the whole ordeal.

We were also granted special permission to use veritaserum if necessary and also the liberty to use our weekends to step out of the premises of Hogwarts, if need be.

Having read through the thick roll of parchment a hundred times, I finally glanced over at the idiot I was unfortunately partnered with, only to find him oddly sweating and writhing, thrashing around silently in his seat.

For a minute I couldn't- for the life of me, figure out what was going on, until I looked closely at his face and realized he had drifted off to sleep and was having a nightmare, most probably. A feeling of poignancy seemed to tighten its grip around my heart, making me feel light-headed for a moment. Getting up, I moved closer to him, trying to think of a way to bring him to consciousness without frightening him further in the process.

I decided on trying to poke his side (Not the best decision, but worth a try). I slowly edged closer, calling out his name softly while jamming my wand into his side, just enough to make it feel uncomfortable. For a few minutes he continued to thrash around wildly, but then suddenly he came around and sat up straight, looking around in bewilderment and panting as if he had run a marathon. Then he happened to glance my way and shot out of his seat, on shaky legs and stomped away, having thrown a killer glare my way. The only thing on my mind at that moment was,_ if looks could kill. . ._

* * *

I walked into the Great Hall some minutes later, making my way towards my friends, who seemed to be gushing over something. As I flopped myself next to Ron, he turned towards me and offered me a pleasant smile.

"McGonagall says they'll be here by tonight," Ron continued, turning towards Harry again who was munching on a toast, looking thoughtful.

" Yeah, Kreacher told me they were ordered to prepare the wing opposite to us for the guests." Harry replied. I quirked my brow at that.

" What guests?" I asked,

" I told you about the Quidditch competition remember? Well the participants are arriving tonight, I heard Krum will be coming too." Ron nudged me playfully. I blushed lightly and swatted his hand away as the boys started to chuckle pleasantly.

" Good for you then. Anyways, I wanted to tell you guys something. ." I began, they both turned their full attention towards me, their conversation halted which made me smile. This was one of the many reasons I loved them to death; no matter what, they always made sure I was not being neglected, whether it be anything, as long as it concerned me, they would always have time.

" The letter from the Ministry arrived, I just finished reading it. And I- err" I hesitated, looking anywhere but the two boys gazing at me intently. Quite suddenly, I felt nervous for what I was about to say. A tense pause followed my stutter and eventually, being the impatient git Ron always is, he groaned.

" Spit it out 'mione, what are you waiting for? Drum roll?"

Glaring at him, I heaved a breathe, biting my lower lip, " I- well, I know it's ought to be rather brusque on my part to be demanding such a favor from you guys, and don't feel obligated to agree if you're not willing because I, of all people know how hard it can be and I am sure it must be similar-"

"Hermione." Harry chided gently.

" I want you to give me your memories of the war." The request had a slight demanding undertone, which dangled upon our heads like a sword, creating an uncomfortable hush-hush. I stole a glance at their faces and their stunned and a deer-caught-in-headlights expressions seemed to further tighten the painful grip of guilt around my heart.

Memories; Our personal treasure, sometimes worth cherishing and sometimes, eliciting the sadistic streak in us. From the day we learn to acknowledge the world around us, is the day we start making these memories, the imprints of life-changing, sometimes soul-cleansing or mind numbing moments and occasions. I recall my mother used to say, _But the memories that hang heaviest are the easiest to recall. They hold in their creases the ability to change one's life, organically, forever. Even when you shake them out, they've left permanent wrinkles in the fabric of your soul._

We all had them, those memories from the war. I was pretty sure the bottom line of these particular ones was not a pleasant one at any rate, be it for Neville or Harry or Ron; Certainly not me. Demanding access to such dark secrets of their souls was unfair and I very well knew it. Those were the kind of things you wouldn't share, even with your best friends of eight years.

" Umm.. Her-Hermione. . ." Harry managed to stutter through his shock. I looked at him, trying to convey how much of a toll it was taking on me to say that aswell. Ron seemed to have frozen, his face gone expressionless and white making the numerous freckles on his face look more prominent.

" I know Harry, its. . ." I began but I was cut short as Ron shot off his seat and without a backward glance, stomped out of the hall. Harry ran after him, leaving me sitting slack jawed amongst a curious crowd of fourth years who were now eyeing me.

It was almost time for dinner when I finished my Potions essay and decided to step out of my dorm, having had spent the whole day agonizing over the scene in the Great Hall earlier. I knew it was an insensitive preposition, but to really do the task I'd been entrusted with, their memories became a necessity- unfortunately. Besides, I knew that they knew it was inevitable. Being the war heroes, their experiences were bound to catch the lime light.

Sighing, I descended the stairs into the common room, which was almost empty except for one person. Hearing my footsteps, the red-headed female turned around with a skeptical look on her face, which again I couldn't decipher for the life of me.

" You're something Hermione Granger, really." Ginny spoke through gritted teeth.

" What do you mean Gin?" I replied, confused by her hostility.

" Oh, Don't play dumb Granger, I know how cunning you are, I thought that with the brains you had, combined with your Gryffindor traits, you might really be a genius; and genius you are, only the problem is, you've got more Slytherin than Gryffindor in you." Her hair almost crackled with the hatred which seemed to be diffusing off her in waves, while I stood, my mouth slightly open- completely flabbergasted by her incomprehensible rant.

" What's wrong with you Gin? You're making no sense!" I told her, exasperatedly.

" Oh yes, Nothing's wrong. My Br-" she was unfortunately cut off as the portrait hole opened and Harry walked in, looking quite run-down. He flopped down on the couch near the fireplace, sighing loudly. Turning away from the seething red-head female, I reached out to ruffle Harry's hair. He smiled at me sadly. None of us noticed as Ginny stomped out through the portrait, practically growling.

" Harry?" I said, barely whispering.

" Mhmm?"

" Thank you."

" You're welcome. But shouldn't I be the one saying that in the first place?" he smiled at me, genuinely this time.

" You've already done that, quite a lot to last me a life time actually." I told him, ruffling his unkempt hair again. He chuckled slightly at that.

" Where's Ron?" I finally managed to ask the one thing I'd been worried about.

" Where you do you think?" he replied with yet another sigh. Starting to feel extremely bad about the whole thing, I made to get up only to be stopped by Harry's hand which clutched at my wrist firmly.

" Don't. Just let him be for now, he needs to clear his head." I gazed into his green orbs, seeing for myself the concern and worry he held for our best friend and decided to listen to him on this. Getting off the couch, we both headed out to the Great Hall for dinner, walking side by side silently.

As we reached the Entrance Hall, we were stopped though as a huge crowd was gathered facing the front door. We pushed our way past the fifth year students trying to take a good look at whatever the cause for the commotion was.

A loud trumpet sounded just as we came to the front of the crowd and the doors burst open with a bang. Five baby ponies marched in. The boys standing around the magical creatures yelped, backing away while the girls stood in awed silence, watching the little magical creatures form a circle in the middle.

" What are they?" Harry wondered, aloud. I was about to answer when I was jostled quite roughly, almost being pushed into Harry. Turning around to give a piece of my mind to whoever it was, I shut up, seeing the Blonde Extraordinaire sneering at me, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the ponies with a bored expression. Turning back to Harry, I began to explain.

" They are the Elements of Harmony, each of these ponies are possessed with a significant power, which combined with the rest can overcome any force with tries to disrupt the peace and order. The purple one- I pointed at the purple little thing, standing close to us- is **Twilight sparkle**. Twilight possesses the element of magic, she activates the Elements of Harmony through a "spark" within her that ignites in times of utter pandemonium."

" Who is that Orange one then?" He asked, enthusiastically.

Beaming at his show of interest I continued, " The blue one is **Rainbow Dash. **Rainbow possesses the element of loyalty, then there is that white one,** Rarity **who possesses the element of generosity. Look at that cute pink thing! Isn't she adorable?" I gushed,

" She's cute," Harry shrugged. I gave him a shake of my head and continued," Her name's **Pinkie Pie **and she possesses the element of laughter. They are the most optimistic creatures in the whole wide world, nothing could ever dampen their spirits and their laughter is kind of contagious, anyways. The yellow one is **Fluttershy **who possesses the element of kindness and last but not the least is **AppleJack**. Applejack possesses the element of honesty."

" Sounds cool, but what are they doing here?" he then questioned. And rightfully so, but before I could process it, the answer was presented to us as Victor Krum marched in, followed by a number of other students. I gaped as one after the other the group of about twenty students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang filed into the Entrance Hall followed by a cheerful Hagrid. The chatter died down as everyone stared at the new comers, reliving the events of the fourth year, when Cedric had died.

" Welcome Students, Hogwarts has been eagerly awaiting your presence. Let us all proceed to the Great Hall, its almost time for dinner," came McGongall's voice from the Doorway of the Great Hall. Everyone shuffled in, whispers breaking out all over. I turned towards Harry, just as Ron joined us.

" Hey." I greeted him softly- apologetically. He gave me a small smile and a half hug,

" Are they here?" he asked.

" Yes, and guess who is here with them as supervisor?" Harry asked in a low voice, sending me a playful look.

" Krum?"

" Yes sir!" They smiled at each other as I groaned loudly and marched into the hall, leaving them behind to follow me, laughing merrily, having forgotten the incident of the morning completely.

* * *

**NOTE :**

**The ****Elements of Harmony** are six supernatural artifacts which are arguably the most powerful force in Equestria, though the extent and nature of their power are largely unspecified. Each artifact represents an element of friendship and can presumably only work if wielded by one who possesses the corresponding trait, and only if all are used together. They have been wielded on rare occasions, particularly during events marked by pandemonium and anarchy as a last resort to restore and enforce the balance of peace and order. However, the effects of their use are generally temporary and non-lethal, usually a form of banishment or imprisonment.

**READ AND REVIEW! I HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER!**


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